Da’Shika A. Street is an Akron-born creative, wife, and mother of three whose enterprising spirit and artistic influences are shaped by her faith and the legacy of entrepreneurs and artists who preceded her.

Da’Shika’s most recent endeavors have blossomed from Project Sew United, a home-based facemask sewing initiative that she started in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to produce a proprietary 3-layer CDC-approved facemask. The project quickly grew and morphed into what’s now known as Street Craftery, a creative studio founded in 2022, where Mrs. Street teaches multi-disciplinary art techniques to art enthusiasts of varying backgrounds and skill levels.

Through Street Craftery, Da’Shika uses her gift of creating and teaching as a vehicle to empower emerging artists and collaborate with seasoned artists to strengthen the community through artistic expression.

As a Better Akron Fellow, Da’Shika continues to imagine greater for Akron thus she uses her imagination to aid in the elevation of the Greater Akron Arts and Culture sector, by identifying opportunities to engage artists who add culturally diverse perspectives and vibrancy to our community. This is especially evident in her day-to-day work at Street Craftery and through esteemed consultancy opportunities such as serving as an Entrepreneur In Residence through Bounce Innovation Hub’s Next Level Incubator Program and being selected to serve as the Marketing Agency to develop the campaign and strategy for Kent State University Museum’s landmark exhibit: Textures: The History and Art of Black Hair. In this role, Mrs. Street served as the lead strategist for the exhibition and its partnerships with national brands including P&G, My Black Is Beautiful, L’Oreal, and others. In 2022, DaShika conceptualized the Engage Akron Art Project – a public mural initiative featuring the works of local artists to offer beautification, unity, and healing during a time of trauma and pain for our city. With the support of the Downtown Akron Partnership, Knight Foundation, and GAR Foundation, the project came to life.

Da’Shika believes art to be a medium unrestricted by social and economic barriers – one having the power to bring people together from all levels of society offering a clean canvas on which to explore creatively, build intentionally, and find joy in the process.

Availability

Upon Request